Lashkar Announces Four-day Eid Ceasefire

4 December 2002The Times of India

Srinagar: Militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba on Wednesday announced a four-day unilateral ceasefire to enable Muslims to peacefully celebrate Eid-ul- Fitr. The biggest holiday in the Muslim calendar, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan, will be celebrated on Friday or Saturday, according to the appearance of the moon. ''The unilateral ceasefire will start a day before Eid and last for four days,'' Abu Huzaifa, the chief spokesman of Lashkar-e-Taiba, told the Current News Agency. This is the first time the militant group has announced such a ceasefire in Kashmir. ''It (the ceasefire) will be a goodwill gesture for the people of Kashmir to enable them to celebrate a peaceful Eid,'' Huzaifa said. He said the group''s members would not carry out attacks on members of the security forces during the four days. ''This ceasefire also covers politicians and surrendered militants who are on our hit-list,'' he said. Meanwhile Saif-ul-Islam, the chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, sent his greetings to the people of Kashmir on the eve of Eid. But he added in a statement: ''People should not forget those whose near ones have been martyred or are languishing in the jails.''